The tornado season of 2011 was one of the most deadly, costly, and tornadic seasons in recorded history. Imagine waking up one day and your whole town is completely flattened. One such event occurred in the late afternoon on May 22, 2011, when Joplin, Missouri was devastated by an EF5 multi-vortex tornado. This tornado, whose width exceeded one mile, rapidly intensified and tracked across the city. Being only the third tornado to hit Joplin, the 2011 tornado, along with the Tri-State Tornado, ranks as one of Missouri’s and America’s deadliest tornadoes in history. Experts have estimated the damaged in Joplin to equal $3 billion, making this tornado the single costliest tornado in US history. In addition, the Joplin tornado is only the second F5 or EF5 tornado to touch down in Missouri. Due to the tornadoes massive size and strength, a reported 162 people died from the tornado, making it the seventh deadliest tornado in US history and the 27th deadliest in world history. Between the day struck Joplin to July 15, 2011, 16,656 insurance claims have been issued with an expected payout of $2.2 billion - the highest insurance payout in Missouri history.
Image 1 - The one mile wide Joplin tornado
The initial survey reported the Joplin tornado at a high-end EF 4; however, subsequent damage surveys found evidence of more intense damage, and so the tornado was upgraded to an EF5 with estimated winds peaking between 225 and 250 mph. Sunday, May 22at 5:35 pm, the Joplin tornado touched down just east of the Kansas state line. The damage surveys at the southwestern edge of Joplin rated the tornado between an EF2 and EF3. However, as it reached the center of the town, at 5:41pm, the tornado rapidly intensified. At the St. John’s Regional Medical Center, it was reported that the entire hospital was shifted four inches off its foundation. The area after the hospital is the beginning of the EF% damage corridor. Within this corridor, virtually every house was flattened. The Joplin High School’s graduation ended only hours before the tornado hit, saving hundreds of lives. “As the tornado hit the Pizza hut at 1901 Range Line Road, store manager Christopher Lucas herded 4 employees and 15 customers into a walk in freezer.” Since the door could not be held shut, due to the tornado’s suction force, Lucas wrapped a bungee cable around his arm, with the other end attached to the freezer door. The tornado’s force was too much for Lucas to hold back; therefore, Lucas dies after being sucked into the storm.
Image 2 - The EF5 damage corridor running through the highly residential areas
Due to having winds up to 250 mph, the Joplin tornado hurled large objects (concrete blocks, trucks, and parts of buildings) up to 1/8 of a mile away. At 6:12 pm, the Joplin tornado lifted just east of Diamond, MO. This tornado, in its 37 minute lifespan, left a 22.1 mile long path of destruction. Only days after the horrible disaster, the American Red Cross discovered some numbers responding to the tornadoes destruction and intensity. In the 37 miles it was on the ground, the Joplin tornado completely destroyed 25 percent of the town, 2,000 buildings and 7,000 houses were leveled, 75% of Joplin reported damage, and 800 houses and/or buildings were damaged. In addition to the building loss, the human and animal loss was just as devastating. As of September 20, 2011, 162 know deaths have been directly linked to the tornado. In addition, 1,3000 were missing and 900 people were injured, making the Joplin tornado the deadliest US tornado since that of the Woodward, OK tornado on April 9, 1947. Of the 162 deaths, 54 percent died in their residences, 32 percent died in a non-residential building, and 14 percent died in their vehicles. Due to the large number of deaths in residential areas, Joplin officials announced plans to require hurricane ties between the home and their foundations.
Image 3 - A little girl searching through the rubble for her belongings
Officials have also stated that they have rescued 944 pets, 292 of which have been reunited with their owners. “It is utter destruction anywhere you look to the south and the east – businesses, apartment buildings, companies, houses, cars, trees, schools, you name it, it is leveled, leveled,” said Joplin city Councilwoman Melodee Colbert-Kean. has donated $500,000 to help with the cleanup and recovery efforts in Joplin. “With devastation loss of 30% of the city, the Joplin community faces great challenges ahead. Having spent much of my childhood there, I know these people to be hard working, humble, and especially resilient,” Pitt told a local reporter. Along with Brad Pitt,s donation, FEMA has provided $5.6 million in housing assistance, which includes rental and home repair assistance. Currently rebuilding, cleanup, and city planning is taking place in the devastated area of Joplin, MO.
Image 4 - A father rescuing his daughter from the debris from his leveled house
Only days after the tornado, hundreds of organizations and thousands of volunteers flooded to Joplin, MO. The organizations included: the American Red Cross, FEMA, the Salvation Army, the United Methodist Committee on Relief, the Mennonite Disaster Services, and the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee. The volunteers that have helped/ or are helping Joplin include 6 shelters, 120 points of distribution, and 23,000 volunteers. Samantha Morris, a St. Louis school teacher, volunteered after the tornado hit Joplin. ”I could have taken a summer trip; I had some of my fellow teachers who invited me to go with them. When I saw the videos of the devastation here in Joplin, I just knew I wouldn’t feel right laying on a beach while these people are suffering,” Morris said.
Image 5 - Even though an area in the USA was destroyed, the American flag still finds a way to wave in the breeze
Text
Pape, J. (2011, August 2). Volunteers Activate in Joplin Recovery. Retrieved November 1,
2011, from http://www.disasternews.net/news/article.php?articleid=4252
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